My wife informed me this morning that she heard that Buffett had for all intents and purposes endorsed Obama. How did I miss that? This is all I could find on the subject so far...
May 5, 2008, on-the-fly interview with Buffett carried by CNBC.
The interviewer, Becky Quick, asked Buffett to pretend for a moment that she was John McCain. She then asked, "Is there anything I can do, any economic issue I can get behind, that would actually make you think twice about potentially supporting me?"
Buffett replied: "I would say that if you felt the tax burden should be shifted in a significant way to the super-rich and away from the middle class, I would say that would make me re-evaluate you."
Quick/McCain: "So I could eventually gain your support come November?"
Buffett: "Well, in the end I vote on issues now. I think it's pretty clear in many major areas what all three candidates would do."
Then he said, chuckling, that it was "unlikely" he would back McCain "unless he has a serious change, a lobotomy or something like that."
NOVEMBER 21, 2005 (Note this is older but interesting)
Occasionally, Buffett tears out a newspaper article and sends it to
Obama, accompanied by a note or comment. But he says he doesn't flood the senator with thoughts: "I am not one of these guys that thinks that every thought in the morning I have I must convey to the U.S. Senate."
Still, their friendship has provided Obama entree into at least a slice of Buffett's vast and influential circle, including a dinner this year with Bill Gates, a close Buffett friend.
Among those in the Omaha living room were Donald Graham, chairman of the Washington Post Co. Graham and his wife were visiting Buffett (a major shareholder of the Washington Post Co.), and they seized the opportunity to hear one of Washington's newest politicians speak far from the capital.
As guests continued to sip their coffee, Buffett and Obama stepped into an adjoining room. For the next hour, as they both recounted later, they discussed the federal deficit, tax policy and other economic matters.
That meeting underscored "the most important aspect" of their relationship, Obama said, because only a rare few can offer such insight.
"Warren Buffett's $2,000 is no different than anyone else's. There are a lot of people who can give me money," Obama said. "The wonderful thing about Warren Buffett -- similar to my relationship with Oprah -- it's somebody who doesn't need anything from me."
Chicago Tribune by Jeff Zeleny
May 5, 2008, on-the-fly interview with Buffett carried by CNBC.
The interviewer, Becky Quick, asked Buffett to pretend for a moment that she was John McCain. She then asked, "Is there anything I can do, any economic issue I can get behind, that would actually make you think twice about potentially supporting me?"
Buffett replied: "I would say that if you felt the tax burden should be shifted in a significant way to the super-rich and away from the middle class, I would say that would make me re-evaluate you."
Quick/McCain: "So I could eventually gain your support come November?"
Buffett: "Well, in the end I vote on issues now. I think it's pretty clear in many major areas what all three candidates would do."
Then he said, chuckling, that it was "unlikely" he would back McCain "unless he has a serious change, a lobotomy or something like that."
NOVEMBER 21, 2005 (Note this is older but interesting)
Occasionally, Buffett tears out a newspaper article and sends it to
Obama, accompanied by a note or comment. But he says he doesn't flood the senator with thoughts: "I am not one of these guys that thinks that every thought in the morning I have I must convey to the U.S. Senate."
Still, their friendship has provided Obama entree into at least a slice of Buffett's vast and influential circle, including a dinner this year with Bill Gates, a close Buffett friend.
Among those in the Omaha living room were Donald Graham, chairman of the Washington Post Co. Graham and his wife were visiting Buffett (a major shareholder of the Washington Post Co.), and they seized the opportunity to hear one of Washington's newest politicians speak far from the capital.
As guests continued to sip their coffee, Buffett and Obama stepped into an adjoining room. For the next hour, as they both recounted later, they discussed the federal deficit, tax policy and other economic matters.
That meeting underscored "the most important aspect" of their relationship, Obama said, because only a rare few can offer such insight.
"Warren Buffett's $2,000 is no different than anyone else's. There are a lot of people who can give me money," Obama said. "The wonderful thing about Warren Buffett -- similar to my relationship with Oprah -- it's somebody who doesn't need anything from me."
Chicago Tribune by Jeff Zeleny
